The present invention is directed to a cable tie, and more particularly, to a three-piece metal cable tie that utilizes a roller means as the locking mechanism.
Metallic bundling devices incorporating locking balls and roller pins have been used for bundling bales of cotton or the like since the Nineteenth Century. None of the prior devices were positive locking, i.e. depending on the orientation of the locking head, gravity could hold the ball out of locking engagement with the strap resulting in release. U.S. Pat. No. 4,399,592 addressed this problem by teaching the addition of a raised portion or protuberance for deflecting the threaded strap away from the floor as the threaded strap exits the locking head. This deflection ensures that the locking ball is in continuous engagement with the threaded strap regardless of the position of the ball or the orientation of the locking head.
It would be desirable to provide a cable tie having improved tensile strength.
It would also be desirable to provide a cable tie having a steeper ramp on the inside of the locking head, resulting in quicker lockup and a tighter bundle.
A metal cable tie is disclosed. The cable tie includes an elongate metallic strap, a metallic locking head, and metallic roller means. The strap has a first end and a second end opposite the first end. The head is secured to the first end of the strap for receiving the second end of the strap. The head comprises a strap entry face, a strap exit face, and a strap-receiving aperture extending therebetween. The head further comprises a floor and a roof which diverge in the direction of the exit face. The metallic roller means lockingly engages the strap, and the head comprises retention means disposed adjacent the exit face for captively holding the roller means within the head. The roller means is movable between a threading position wherein the roller means is disposed adjacent the exit face and the retention means, and a locking position wherein the roller means is closer to the entry face. The ratio of the distance from a point along the ceiling to the center of the roller means in the threading position to the diameter of the roller means is less than 1.7.
Preferably, the strap is coated.
Preferably, the cable tie is made of stainless steel.
Preferably, the locking head has a lead-in portion at the entry face.
Preferably, the retention means is a finger extending from the roof adjacent the exit face.
Preferably, the roller means is a ball.